Contents protection apparatus and protection method for mixed reality system

Abstract

There is disclosed a protection apparatus which can prevent illicit use of contents without any real objects required for the contents, which are included in those for a mixed reality system. A protection apparatus has ID transmission units which are provided in correspondence with real objects required for contents, and transmit unique IDs, an ID reception unit which receives IDs from the ID transmission units, and an ID collation unit for determining whether an execution of the contents is to be authorized or not on the basis of whether or not the received IDs correspond to real objects required to execute the contents. When a main system that provides mixed reality to the user is to execute contents, the protection apparatus determines that execution of the contents is to be authorized or not and sends the determination result to the main system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mixed reality contents protection apparatus for preventing illicit use of contents for a mixed reality system that mixes and presents a virtual space image on a landscape of a real space, comprising: 
 ID transmission unit, attached to a real object, adapted to transmit a predetermined ID;    ID reception unit adapted to receive the ID; and    ID collation unit adapted to determine whether an execution of the contents by the mixed reality system is to be authorized or not on the basis of whether or not the received ID corresponds to a real object required for the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system, and sending a determination result to the mixed reality system.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said ID collation unit determines that the contents can be executed when not less than a predetermined number of IDs corresponding to real objects required for the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are received.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said ID collation unit determines that the contents can be executed irrespective of the received ID when the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are in a trial period, or are to be executed for the purpose of an execution test.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein data of the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are encrypted, and said apparatus further comprises decryption unit adapted to decrypt data of contents which are determined by said ID collation unit to be able to be executed, and supplying decrypted data to the mixed reality system.  
     
     
         5 . A mixed reality contents protection method for preventing illicit use of contents for a mixed reality system that mixes and presents a virtual space image on a landscape of a real space, comprising: 
 an ID transmission step of making an ID transmission unit attached to a real object transmit a predetermined ID;    an ID reception step of receiving the ID; and    an ID collation step of determining whether an execution of the contents by the mixed reality system is to be authorized or not on the basis of whether or not the received ID corresponds to a real object required for the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system, and sending a determination result to the mixed reality system.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the ID collation step includes a step of determining that the contents can be executed when not less than a predetermined number of IDs corresponding to real objects required for the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are received.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the ID collation step includes a step of determining that the contents can be executed irrespective of the received ID when the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are in a trial period, or are to be executed for the purpose of an execution test.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein data of the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system are encrypted, and the method further comprises a decryption step of decrypting data of contents which are determined in the ID collation step to be able to be executed, and supplying decrypted data to the mixed reality system.  
     
     
         9 . A computer readable recording medium storing a program code for making a computer execute a method for preventing illicit use of contents for a mixed reality system that mixes and presents a virtual space image on a landscape of a real space, said program code comprising: 
 a program code of an ID transmission step of making an ID transmission unit attached to a real object transmit a predetermined ID;    a program code of an ID reception step of receiving the ID; and    a program code of an ID collation step of determining whether an execution of the contents by the mixed reality system is to be authorized or not on the basis of whether or not the received ID corresponds to a real object required for the contents to be executed by the mixed reality system, and sending a determination result to the mixed reality system.